austere
severe or stern in manner; without adornment or luxury, simple, plain; harsh or sour in flavor
beneficent
performing acts of kindness or charity; conferring benefits, doing good
cadaverous
pale, gaunt, resembling a corpse
concoct
to prepare by combining ingredients, make up (as a dish); to devise, invent, fabricate
crass
cours, unfeeling; stupid
debase
to lower in character, quality,or value; to degrade, adulterate; to cause to deteriorate
desecrate
to commit sacrilege upon, treat irreverently; to contaminate, pollute
disconcert
to confuse; to disturb the composure of
grandiose
grand in an impressive or stately way; marked by pompous affectation or grandeur, absurdly exaggerated
inconsequential
trifling, unimportant
infraction
a braking of a law or obligation
mitigate
to make milder or softer, to moderate in force or intensity
pillage
(v.) to rob of goods by open force (as in war), plunder; (n.) the act of looting; booty
prate
to talk a great deal in a foolish or aimless fashion
punctilious
very careful and exact, attentive to fine points of etiquette or propriety
redoubtable
inspiring fear or awe; illustrious, eminent
reprove
to find fault with, scold, rebuke
restitution
the act of restoring someone or something to the rightful owner or to a former state or position; making good on a loss or damage
stalwart
(adj.) strong and sturdy; brave; resolute; (n.) a brave, strong person; a strong supporter; one who takes an uncompromising position
vulnerable
(adj.) open to attack; capable of being wounded or damaged; unprotected
acrimonious
stinging, bitter in temper or tone
bovine
resembling a cow or ox; sluggish, unresponsive
consternation
dismay, confusion
corpulent
fat; having a large, bulky body
disavow
to deny responsibility for or connection with
dispassionate
impartial; calm, free from emotion
dissension
disagreement, sharp difference of opinion
dissipate
to cause to disappear; to scatter, dispel; to spend foolishly, squander; to be extravagant in pursuit of pleasure
expurgate
to remove objectionable passages or words from a written text; to cleanse, purify
gauntlet
an armored or protective glove; a challenge; two lines of men armed with weapons with which to beat a person forced to run between them; an ordeal
hypothetical
based on an assumption or guess; used as a provisional or tentative idea to guide or direct investigation
ignoble
mean, low, base
impugn
to call into question; to attack as false
intemperate
immoderate, lacking in self-control; inclement
odium
hatred, contempt; disgrace or infamy resulting from hateful conduct
perfidy
faithlessness, treachery
relegate
to place in a lower position; to assign, refer, turn over; to banish
squemish
inclined to nausea; easily shocked or upset; excessively fastidious or refined
subservient
subordinate in capacity or role; submissively obedient; serving to promote some end
suseptible
open to; easily influenced; lacking in resistance
abate
to make less in amount, degree, etc.; to subside, become less; to nullify; to deduct, omit
adulation
praise or flattery that is excessive
anathema
an object of intense dislike; a curse or strong denunciation (often used adjectivally without the article)
astute
shrewd, crafty, showing practical wisdom
avarice
a greedy desire, particularly for wealth
culpable
deserving blame, worthy of condemnation
dilatory
tending to delay or procrastinate, not prompt; intended to delay or postpone
egregious
conspicuous, standing out from the mass (used particularly in an unfavorable sense)
equivocate
to speak or act in a way that allows for more than one interpretation; to be deliberately vague or ambiguous
evanescent
vanishing, soon passing away; light and airy
irresolute
unable to make up one's mind, hesitating
nebulous
cloud-like, resembling a cloud; cloudy in color not transparent; vague, confused, indistinct
novice
one who is just a beginner at some activity requiring skill and experience (also used adjectivally)
penury
extreme poverty; barrenness, insufficiency
pretentios
done for show, striving to make a big impression; claiming merit or position unjustifiable; making demands on one's skill or abilities, ambitious
recapitulate
to review a series of facts; to sum up
resuscitate
to revive, bring back to consciousness or existence
slovenly
untidy, dirty, careless
suppostion
something that is assumed or taken for granted without conclusive evidence
torpid
inactive, sluggish, dull